5-Star television series?

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 04 Oct 2007, 19:43

The discussion in the review thread led me to thinking what Series i've seen that deserve an ultimate 5 star rating. there may be more but off the top of my head i'd award 5 stars to Patrick McGoohan's The Prisoner, seventeen incredibly strange but unerringly watchable television.way ahead of it's time plus it had the best opening credits of any tv show ever,

However clearly the greatest television show ever made is HBO's Deadwood,and i say that before i've even watched the 3rd and final series.This programme is so fantastic i'm reluctant to embark on watching it because i know there's no to come after it

This show features incredible authentic sets,truly brilliant scripts and fantastic acting from everyone especially Ian McShane as Al Sweregen,a truly amazing creation.each episode plays out in it's on sweet time like a mini-movie and the show is a true classic.

So everyone name me some of your 5 star tv shows

degeneration · Post by **degeneration** » 04 Oct 2007, 21:27

I've not seen a show yet that had every episode up in the 5*, but only ones that I consider 5* as a whole. There are a couple for me:

Babylon 5
24
Lost (so far)
Red Dwarf

I tempted to put Friends in there too as it has got great rewatch value, as something you can just put on at any time. But I haven't.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 04 Oct 2007, 22:01

in the 24 episodes of Deadwood i've seen so far i've never seen the quality drop,it's extremely consistent.Lost i'd give a 3 to on average, 24 maybe a 3.5, never seen Babylon or Red Dwarf,not a sci-fi fan really.

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 04 Oct 2007, 22:22

LOST.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 04 Oct 2007, 22:34

Too many are series I adore, but not many are ever 5 stars on the whole.

Deadwood is clocksucking superb mind you, not qite 5 stars from me, but bloody stunningly savage

I only seen Season 1 so far cocksuckers! Season 2 is on my shelf to watch and Season 3 is on its way so I can do a triple play back to back session. COCKSUCKERS!

Still many amazing series out there, but many may disagree, but hey

some series go up and down mind you in quality it has to be said with some shit episodes in among the gold ones.

Heres a few I love off hand most will be 4 stars or more, a few will end up 5 stars.

Homicide Life on the Streets
24
Lost
Battlestar Galactica (not the old crap show)(not like Sci fi? watch this sod of a show)
Dead Like Me
The Wire
Alias
The X Files
Quantum Leap (made me cry, thats good TV)
Northern Exposure
Band of Brothers (mini series, but hey)
Buffy
Angel
Boomtown
Spaced
Babylon 5
Firefly
Hill Street Blues
NYPD Blue

I am sure theres loads more.

I expect Bradvon to come on and say ALL america TV is crap, as hell he loves Dr Who and Dawsons Creek

and judges entire shows by watching one or two episodes.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 04 Oct 2007, 22:54

Very, very few TV series can sustain the quality to be considered 5 star shows. Many go on way past their sell by date but some finish too early.

The best example of a 5 Star TV show would be Only Fools and Horses, no contest.

* Only Fools and Horses - The best comedy show ever invented
* Friends - It did go on way too long though, but in it's hey day it was a classic.
* Fawlty Towers - It finished so soon

* Cracker - Sadly I missed the special this year but boy that was a corker back in the 90s.
* Dawson's Creek - Overall 5 Stars but some parts were 4 Stars. I had a soft spot for that one, pity it finished. I had a hard spot for Katie Holmes back then too 8) , before she went all a bit weird with Mr. Cruise.

As we're talking about overall 5 Star shows (I presume) that's about it.

Star Trek: The Original Series I'd give 4 out of 5, as would I TNG. Deep Space Nine and Voyager are hard ones to call as some were 5, 4, 3 and 2 Stars. Those two could be very inconsistent.

Doctor Who is also incredibly inconsistent. The best I'd easily give 5 out of 5 but there is some real stinkers in there too. Not just the New Series, the Classic series had some stinkers too.

X-Files and Quantum Leap back then I'd probably have given them 5 out of 5, today 4 out of 5. I have seen the entire QL run and about two thirds of X-Files. I lost interest with that one.

romerojpg wrote:I expect Bradvon to come on and say ALL america TV is crap, as hell he loves Dr Who and Dawsons Creek and judges entire shows by watching one or two episodes.

Since when was Television solely about Yank TV? Unless I'm mistaken you've only listed one Brit show.

Two to Three episodes actually

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 04 Oct 2007, 22:58

I think the only American programmes I really like are LOST and Malcolm in the Middle, plus the cartoons Futurama, The Simpsons, and South Park.

I mainly watch comedy programmes, and in my opinion English comedy is way funnier: Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Peep Show, Green Wing, The Mighty Boosh, Father Ted, Black Books, Bottom, The IT Crowd, Nathan Barley, and Spaced!

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 04 Oct 2007, 23:02

gasteropod wrote:and in my opinion English comedy is way funnier

On the whole way, way funnier.

For me I simply don't have time to watch an entire series and what's the point watching part of a show? A film is over in 2-4 hours on average, great!

Not only don't I have time I have zero interest in glueing myself to the TV screen for hours on end every day of the week.

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 04 Oct 2007, 23:56

Hmmm... as far as miniseries go, I must mention Shogun.
That's an awesome show.

I HAVE Band of Brothers, but I've only seen the first 2 episodes. I should watch it though.

Comedyseries, I feel the Phil Silvers show is 5 outta 5

Also Newsradio would get a 5 outta 5 from me. Love that show.

The Office (USA) comes very close to a perfect score. I'm not sure yet on the replay-value, plus it will depend on how many seasons it will have and if they can uphold the quality. I really hope so, with the same cast.

The Colbert Report I MUST mention. I know it is more a 'talkshow' kinda thing, but man... it's just amazingly funny, each and every night. Stephen Colbert is just absolutely brilliant. A genius. I doubt ANY comedian has managed to make me laugh so often and so hard. And he's only had his show for 2 years orso now!? I hope that guy will last forever.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 05 Oct 2007, 00:03

bradavon wrote:* Cracker - Sadly I missed the special this year but boy that was a corker back in the 90s.

You didn't miss much... it was the weakest of the lot.

Probably even worse than BEST BOYS and nowhere near BROTHERLY LOVE.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 05 Oct 2007, 01:08

Cracker of the 90s was outstanding TV. Robbie Coltrane was excellent as was his female copper. The rape story was excellent writing.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 05 Oct 2007, 10:15

What I've seen/can remember:

Lost (so far, what I've seen)
24 (again, what I've seen)
Red Dwarf (overall)
Life on Mars
Father Ted
The Simpsons (in it's golden period)
Blackadder
Heroes (so far)

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 05 Oct 2007, 18:16

bradavon wrote: Since when was Television solely about Yank TV? Unless I'm mistaken you've only listed one Brit show.

Two to Three episodes actually

Why not many English shows? well becuase most are poor or worse, shit. But classics are really good like Porrige, Open All Hours, Father Ted, Bottom. Again far from consistent comedy is, one week its hilarious and the next its not.

Only Fools and Horses, while very funny sometimes, is crap many times

a very inconsistent show, esspecially the later series. But the Batman episode etc.. are hilarious, but would I but it? no.

I am mainly going from what I own on DVD, as many great shows are still to be released (or cost way to much to get).

These are also superb shows

OZ
Probibly the single most evil show on TV! no way I am going to prison!

Forgot
CSI
CSI Miami
not sure about CSI New York, as only seen Season 1 so far.

The pair of them are 5 stars easily, some of the nbest TV ever made on CSI.

and not forgetting
Heroes! what TV was made for!

and Sledge Hammer

but again 5 star shows? very rare, hard to say really what are very consistent and always perfect. For instantce The Dead Zone, great show, but my god it sways badly from perfect, to a load of cobblers thru the seasons.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 05 Oct 2007, 19:42

On The Buses is 5 star television..."i'll be avin' you Butler"

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 05 Oct 2007, 19:44

One Foot In The Grave - classic comedy.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 05 Oct 2007, 23:38

romerojpg wrote:Why not many English shows? well becuase most are poor or worse, shit. But classics are really good like Porrige, Open All Hours, Father Ted, Bottom. Again far from consistent comedy is, one week its hilarious and the next its not.

I happened to think you just prefer the different style and higher production values of American TV, no?

romerojpg wrote:Only Fools and Horses, while very funny sometimes, is crap many times a very inconsistent show, esspecially the later series. But the Batman episode etc.. are hilarious, but would I but it? no.

Personally I thought it was perfect up until they made their million. It should've ended then which was always the plan. The specials after that were poor.

But overall it was consistently funny week after week. The Batman episode is comedy gold.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 06 Oct 2007, 02:14

Brad is a very close-minded individual, not willing to give anything a chance, makes widespread generalisations.

There is a lot of high quality American television, the majority of it is made for pay TV and follows the same British TV philosophy of "less is more".

What do I think are 5-star shows? Off the top of my head:-

Blackadder 2 & 3
Black Books
Fawlty Towers
At Home with the Braithwaites
Father Ted
E.R. (still has top writing even after being on air for 10+ years, unlike some other shows. *cough* Simpsons *cough*)
Six Feet Under
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Sopranos
The Wire
The Shield
Northern Exposure (except for the last season)
Twin Peaks
Nip/tuck
Carnivale
Battlestar Galactica
Picket Fences (except the last season)
The Practice
Boston Public (first two seasons)
Seinfeld
Futurama
Earth: Final Conflict (first season)
The L Word
Rescue Me
Dexter

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 06 Oct 2007, 03:25

Eva, I don't know how you can say Twin Peaks is a 5-star programme, have you not seen the second season?! It's dragged out like hell, and just totally bored me for the most part (till Lynch returned to make an incredible finale).

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 06 Oct 2007, 03:43

Yeah, I've only seen the first season.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 06 Oct 2007, 04:28

I forgot about ER that is a very good show. I've tended to watch shows here and there instead of in a row.

EvaUnit02 wrote:Brad is a very close-minded individual, not willing to give anything a chance, makes widespread generalisations.

I repeat:

For me I simply don't have time to watch an entire series and what's the point watching part of a show? A film is over in 2-4 hours on average, great!

Not only don't I have time I have zero interest in glueing myself to the TV screen for hours on end every day of the week.

It has nothing to do with being closed minded (is anyone closed minded to film on this forum?) but more so the time it takes to watch an entire season. In order to watch as many TV shows as you guys appear to have I'd have to spend day in day out in front of the box, no thanks.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 06 Oct 2007, 05:08

Aren't you on welfare now though?

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 06 Oct 2007, 10:13

Eva I would say Blackadder 2, 3 and 4 (not ao much 1). If they had stopped at 4 it would have been perfect.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 06 Oct 2007, 11:31

grim_tales wrote:Eva I would say Blackadder 2, 3 and 4 (not ao much 1). If they had stopped at 4 it would have been perfect.

They did stop at Series 4 though. The occasional special doesn't count. (I enjoyed Blackadder's Xmas Carol though.)

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 06 Oct 2007, 12:05

South Park is a classic,i have all 10 released so far seasons.and an old little known british show from the 70's, Gangsters.great stuff for it's time.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 06 Oct 2007, 12:08

Can't believe only Romero & myself love Deadwood.you guys are missing out